Dear colleague,
Chair’s introduction
At Redbridge LMC we are the local voice of general practice and I am delighted to have been re-elected as a member and Chair to continue this work. I hope to be able to continue to represent and advocate for all of you, protect general practice and serve our patients, despite the change around us. I would like to thank all who stood and voted in last year’s elections and all who support the work of the LMC.
Our aim is to keep general practice front and centre of local health services, involved in developments like neighbourhoods. Our work may be more important than ever if cuts in NHS management affect ICB clinical leadership and primary care commissioners. The LMC deeply appreciates the hard work and dedication of these colleagues and hopes that the borough does not lose their skills and good will.
To all, my good wishes for 2026.
Redbridge LMC Membership and Contact info
New LMC membership
We welcome the new LMC members who were elected or co-opted last year: Dr Shahrukh Muhammad, Dr Samiul Khan (VTS rep), Dr Sambhavi Sheedy, Dr Joana Teixeira (VTS rep) and (a previous member returning after a break) Dr Imran Umrani. They join continuing members Dr Henry Akpabio, Dr Shujah Hameed, Dr Sarah Heyes, Dr Chidi Okorie (Vice-Chair), Dr Sivashanmugarajan Ramakrishnan, Dr Najib Seedat (Chair), Dr Dania Shoeb, Dr Jyoti Sood and Dr Zakia Wadud, and Practice Manager rep Sue Byrne.
Farewell
We say goodbye with our sincere thanks to the LMC members stepping down Dr Parvathy Nair and Dr Nusrat Runi.
What has Redbridge LMC been working on recently?
HbA1C
Following significant feedback from the LMC, it has been agreed that practices will be reimbursed £50 per patient to support completion of the HbA1c recovery incident harm review. Practices may consider doing this work at practice level, PCN level or borough/federation as per individual preference.
A spreadsheet has been agreed, which is to be completed for the harm review for each practice. BHRUT will send each practice a list of affected patients—specifically, patients with a new diagnosis of diabetes that was likely based on HbA1c results from the period where results were positively biased (Jan 2024 – March 2024 and August 2024 – Jan 2025).
The submitted data will be collated and reviewed by an incident group at BHRUT to assess patient-level information and determine the appropriate next steps. Practices potentially harmed and needing urgent review by secondary care can be discussed with endocrinology at BHRUT, via advice and guidance.
The aim is for practices to complete this work by July 2026, with a suggestion that practices try to complete 50% of the harm reviews by March 2026, with submission of an initial invoice at that time and a final invoice on completion.
MSK pathway changes
Concerns have been raised about MSK pathway changes (including reduced GP access to MRIs) progressing without adequate engagement. An opportunity was identified to influence the local pathway design, and the LMC requested representation at a forthcoming MSK meeting with the ICB leads.
Practices are encouraged to send specific feedback to the LMC on how proposed MSK changes affect patient safety, access, and workload, so this can be consolidated and escalated.
Changes to the spirometry service
We have written to the ICB to express concern about the proposed decommissioning of the Redbridge Federation spirometry and FeNO service and the reported intention to transfer it to diagnostic contract providers. We are seeking urgent clarification of the ICB’s current commissioning decision, rationale, timetable and transitional arrangements, as well as sight of the impact assessments underpinning the decision. This is particularly important for Redbridge, where the Federation has provided an established local service from three sites (Wanstead & Woodford, Cranbrook and Ilford) for over four years with a maximum four-week wait; we have highlighted to the ICB that any consolidation to a single diagnostic location risks adversely affecting access and continuity for local patients.
Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
In November 2025, we wrote formally to local Redbridge system leaders to raise significant concerns on behalf of general practice regarding engagement, representation and co-production in the development of the neighbourhood health model in Redbridge. In response, we have received written reassurances from the ICB acknowledging the importance of general practice being at the heart of neighbourhood working, alongside proposed actions to strengthen GP leadership and involvement. We will continue to monitor developments closely, engage with partners as discussions progress, and update members on any further substantive changes or outcomes.
Council referral portal for safeguarding referrals
Following concerns raised by local practices about the usability of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) referral form, we have approached the London Borough of Redbridge to formally share feedback on behalf of general practice. This feedback focused on the volume of information requested, the number of mandatory fields, and the extent to which some questions relate to information that GPs may not routinely hold. We have also clarified the contractual position in relation to the use of third-party portals.
We have outlined the potential impact this has on GP workload and timely safeguarding referrals and have requested clarification on expectations for general practice. We are currently awaiting a response from the council and will provide a further update once this has been received.
Secondary Care Interface
The LMC recently met with BHRUT representatives who provided an update on current interface priorities following the phased introduction of the Millennium electronic patient record (EPR). They acknowledged a period of stabilisation and noted that some disruption has been most visible in areas such as ED discharge summaries, clinic correspondence and results processing.
The LMC raised the practical value of having clear departmental contact details (e.g., secretary/booking contacts) included on hospital letters to support patient self-navigation and reduce avoidable practice workload. BHRUT recognised the issue and advised it is being progressed through the EPR workstream.
On Advice & Guidance, BHRUT acknowledged reports of delays in some specialties, including paediatrics, and asked practices to share examples by specialty so these can be escalated and addressed. We suggest contacting GP Liaison Manager Janet Bartlett.
A significant part of the discussion focused on the backlog of ED discharge summaries. BHRUT confirmed a phased approach to releasing historic discharge summaries to practices, with practice-level backlog data available on request.
Finally, the LMC reiterated specific concerns about inappropriate ED/A&E-originated requests (e.g. patients being directed to GP for investigations/referrals that were not indicated or did not follow internal pathways). Practices are encouraged to share examples of this happening with your LMC reps; BHRUT agreed to review and feed into thematic work.
Constituent engagement
We are keen to listen to practices to understand the issues they are worried about and the challenges they are currently facing – let us know if you would like a call or for an LMC member to visit your practice for a conversation. Please email ian.williamson@lmc.org.uk.
North East London sector issues
Many issues affecting Redbridge also affect other boroughs in NEL. We work closely with our counterparts in other boroughs to address and resolve them at sector level. There is also a NEL newsletter for the sector work – the December issue covered the NEL enhanced services review, the new NEL anticoag service, the work on the interface with secondary care, the new MSK service and the Oliver McGowan training, amongst other things.. You can read it here.
Refreshed Londonwide LMCs Buying Group
Our substantially updated Buying Group offer is now live, bringing high quality products, service, opportunities and offers to London general practice at the best prices and with the best possible deals.
The offer now includes a supplier for each of these areas: consumables, insurance, training and practice support and wellbeing (including free and discounted tickets to music, theatre and sports events). In addition, we have four suppliers for digital and tech services covering: cloud telephony, records digitisation, call-and-recall automation and patient registration automation.
Redbridge LMC
You can find contact information, meeting dates and membership information for Redbridge LMC here.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Naj Seedat, Chair, Redbridge LMC
